Chapter Forty-Four: Leaving No Stone Unturned

LEONARD'S POV:

As she hugged me, her warmth wrapped around me like a soothing balm. Her body was soft yet strong, and I felt an inexplicable calm in her presence. I didn’t want to leave—I didn’t need to—but I had to. The longer I stayed, the more drawn I became to her. The attraction was undeniable, yet it made me uneasy.

When I looked into her eyes, they held a serene, unreadable expression. Was she as calm as she appeared, or was there something she was holding back? I wished, more than anything, that I could take away all her troubles, that I could shield her from everything weighing her down.

“Goodbye, Leonard,” she said softly, the words pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. She repeated them as if trying to cement the finality of my departure.

I nodded, forcing myself to return to reality. “Goodbye, Evelyn,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. I turned and left, each step away from her feeling heavier than the last.

When I reached the garage, I glanced at the car I had bought her not long ago. The sight of it brought a fleeting pang of happiness. Knowing that she liked it filled me with an inexplicable sense of accomplishment. I had spent hours agonizing over what she might want, But now, seeing how much she appreciated it, I was content with my decision.

I climbed into my own car, started the engine, and drove off. The road stretched ahead of me, but my mind wandered back to Evelyn. Why did I tell her about Aaron yet? I imagined her mood, if she was deep thinking about it at the moment.

Evelyn was strong; I knew that. She had tried to deal with the situation gracefully, especially given the circumstances. But what would happen when I wasn’t there? Who would shield her if things escalated?

I hoped she’d consider visiting her father, at least for a while. Yet the truth remained: I had already told her, and there was no taking it back. All I could do now was ensure she was safe from any potential harm. Resolving to dig deeper into Aaron’s actions and motives, I vowed to protect Evelyn at all costs.

As I pulled into my driveway, my determination crystallized. Once inside, I called My person guard, my personal guard, to meet me in the living room. He arrived promptly, standing at attention as I motioned for him to sit.

“I need to know everything about how you caught Aaron,” I said, my tone firm. “Leave nothing out.”

He nodded, his expression serious. “When you gave me the day off, I decided to try out a new restaurant with a girl I met online,” he began, his voice steady but low.

He paused for a moment, perhaps recalling the events in vivid detail. “We were at the restaurant, and she excused herself to take a call. I was left alone at the table, and that’s when I noticed Aaron. He was sitting just a table away, talking on his phone. At first, I didn’t pay much attention, but then I overheard something that caught my ear.”

He leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “He said, ‘The Wyatt Company is as good as ordinary now that Evelyn is handling it until she gives up.’ He mentioned that the deal was done and demanded the rest of his payment. His exact words were, ‘Mr. Wyatt may be influential, but my uncle is on the board.’ From that alone, I knew he wasn’t working alone.”

He paused, giving me a moment to absorb his words. “I snapped a picture of him discreetly and ran a search. That’s when I found out he attended the same college as Evelyn and his name. It was too much of a coincidence.”

I leaned back, taking a deep breath as my mind raced. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, but the picture was far from complete.

“Make sure Evelyn is safe too, the work might be too much for Alex alone.,” I said finally, my voice resolute.

His expression darkened. “I’ll keep an eye on her, sir,” he assured me. “But I think we should also dig deeper into Aaron’s motives. We need to find out who he was talking to.”

I nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking. I want every detail you can find on him. Leave no stone unturned.”

He pulled out his phone and began typing furiously. “I’ll get started immediately.”

Satisfied, I called Alex, another trusted guard, and instructed him to keep a close watch on Evelyn. Her safety was my top priority, and I wasn’t willing to take any risks. Alex promised to follow my orders to the letter.

After wrapping up my discussion with my guard, I dialed the number of the man who had overseen Evelyn’s recent project review—Aaron’s supposed uncle. The phone rang several times before he finally picked up.

“Hello, Leonard Henderson speaking,” I said, keeping my tone sharp and professional.

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a hesitant, “Yes, sir.”

“I’d like to meet with you tomorrow at 9 a.m. to discuss Miss Evelyn Wyatt’s project presentation,” I said curtly. My patience was wearing thin, and I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries.

The man stuttered, clearly taken aback. “Y-yes, sir. Of course.”

I didn’t wait for him to say more. Hanging up, I felt a surge of satisfaction. I knew he would scramble to fix whatever mess he had caused before our meeting. Evelyn deserved nothing less than the recognition she had worked so hard for, and I would make sure she got it.

As I set the phone down, a wave of emotions washed over me. I couldn’t ignore the truth any longer—I was falling for Evelyn. I had tried to convince myself that my concern for her was purely altruistic. But deep down, I knew there was more to it than that.

The thought of Caleb, my nephew, flashed through my mind Memories of seeing him outside Evelyn’s gate the previous night resurfaced, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was up to something. But I brushed the thought aside; there were more pressing matters to deal with.

Turning to my personal guard, who was still seated across from me, I said, “I need Aaron’s address. Now.”

He nodded, his fingers flying across his phone’s screen. A few minutes later, he handed me a piece of paper with the address scribbled on it.

“Thank you,” I said, clutching it tightly. Determination burned in my chest.